If my neighbor has decided to install a paver-block patio, first behind his house, has chosen paver stones for several good reasons. He thought it would last longer than other materials such as wood or poured concrete last year, thought it looked real "rich" elegant, to her and, above all, he thought, they are maintenance free. Well, he almost was right. They look good and are incredibly resilient, but it was not long before he learned that are not fullymaintenance-free.
Look after several periods of rain, snow and terrace, but not as good as it was there before, when he was installed. The sun began to fade the color in some areas, the sand between the stones were washed away by rain and the weeds began to grow in the spaces between the paving stones. He also began to form colonies of ants are beginning to see with his sand paver valuable as their new home.
Well, the solution to his problem was very simple. It was timeClean the patio next to them for protection. And even if a little 'unsteady at first, this project was groped by itself after I started to go through the procedure, he decided he did not seem so difficult and should be able to seal its own terrace.
I accepted. "Just follow these simple keys to 11," I said, "and when you have finished looking at your deck, as was done by professionals!"
1 First, take your time
With each project, which I do, I can not stressthis point enough. From start to finish, at every step in between, take your time. If you are running through a project, you make mistakes and mistakes are what the professionals are able to avoid. Sometimes it's just a matter of cleaning the surface a bit 'better, or rinsing things a little' more. Perhaps it is so dry a bit 'more of your hands to seal or wait a few hours before you put your garden furniture. At every step of the process, take some time.The odds are much better if the work is done and all the instruments were stored, we will look at the result and happy that it came out as she had hoped it would.
2 acids may be more big clean
Often when you visit the courtyard, you notice stains before washing. Leaves, which can still count on the terrace of tannin stains. Iron furniture, sitting on the terrace, most likely to leave rust stains. Whatever you find stains must be removedbefore sealing, or are permanently sealed, so now is the time to work with them. The easiest way to get the stains is to use an acid cleaner. Conventional hydrochloric acid works well and is cheap, but I hate it. If you are on your skin burned and the smoke from it are just awful. Instead, I use a cleaner "safe" as Challenge Masonry Cleaner safely. For heavy stains, I just pour a little 'cleaner at full strength on the stain and give a few minutes of workbefore rinsing. If the yard everything is pretty dirty, dilute the cleaner is 4:1 (four parts water to one part cleaner) and with a garden hose to spray type, spray the surface with a detergent. Allow the cleaner to remain on the wet surface for 5 minutes or so, and then starts the rinse with a pressure washer.
3 Clean, clean and then clean some more '
In terms of job preparation, sealing is not very different from staining your deck or patio paint your house. Much of theQuality of work comes down to how well you prepare the surface.
Patios that have survived are often times mold, moss and algae growing on rocks and sand between the joints. Weeds, which started just like any other foreign entity to grow, must be eliminated, and a terrace, which means a good cleaning. The easiest way things should be cleaned with a pressure washer.
Make sure you choose a machine with enough power to get the job done. In no way am I looking for somethingrated less than 2400 psi, select a point that water is a little fan, 15 degrees or so. Moreover, work in sections.
Courtyards should be designed so that water runs away from home. For example, work began on the house or near the top of the slope of the terrace. Wash away the dirt on the terrace of the natural flow of the house. These are some of the sand between the joints loose during cleaning and that's ok. Replace the sand, when the terrace is cleaned up. Just beBe sure to blow more sand is needed, while you clean.
4 Now, this is the "level"
With the terrace hours clean, look around and check the condition of the pavement. Over time, paving stone set up or move, so all the same. If you have some stones that are out of place, have a screwdriver and a spatula, stiff, raise the irregular stones. After removal, you can install a little 'sand smooth with the blade of the trowel and re-Bricks. A couple of blows with a rubber mallet to make things perfect, and voila ', the bricks.
5 It 'time to fill this common
The last step again on the patio is ready to seal the mortar joints between the stones again with fresh sand. This step is not difficult, but it takes a while 'so be patient. For this I use a fine grade run-of-the-mill sand box to play. Pour a small amount on the terrace and began sweeping into the joints with aPush-broom. Sweep in both directions, again in front and from left to right, to ensure the filling of the joints completely intact. Like sand pouring through the filling of the joints is a bit 'more used to the terrace and keep sweeping.
6 Pause time
This is the part that you're going to love. Go for a break! Remember when we started, I told you to take advantage of your time? Now it is very important that all the time. After all we have is cleaning the ground beneath the floor should be dry and wetout. In the courtyard a couple of good, hot, dry days of sun before sealing. If not, you could end up trapping the moisture under the sealer and the entire project is a milky white color ... yuck turn!
7 Take a look at water-based sealants
It 's time to look for your seal and now the possibilities are products containing solvents or water based products. Hate solvent! "Why?" He asks. Here's why:
They are bad for our environment. If they get on my grass or flowers,they kill them.
They smell terrible.
Everything has to be cleaned up with messy solvents.
Water-base sealers are a much better choice. Besides being both easy to use and easy on the environment, they offer another amazing advantage. They "stabilize" the sand. When cured, water-based sealers such as Defy's Epoxy Fortified Paver Sealer, will harden the joint sand and lock it into place. This prevents it from washing out during future rains.
8. Read the can, follow directions
Every manufacturer's product can be little different so always read the directions. It only takes a few minutes but it will ensure that you have all the right information before you get started. Pay attention to details such as how many coats of sealer to apply, how long to wait between coats, how to properly apply the product and how to clean it up. There are any number of variations to these questions and more. Read the label first and you'll be likely to get it right the first time.
9. This sprayin' stuff is easy
Now the fun stuff begins...applying the sealer. To do this, I love to use a garden-type pump up sprayer but I'll warn you in advance, don't buy a cheap one! The better sprayers (they usually cost over bucks) have a metal fan-style spray tip and do a much better job than the inexpensive weed sprayers. When you're looking for a sprayer, the key here is to look for a "fan-style tip".
The patio edges can be cut-in using a 4" nylon brush and then you're ready to start spraying. Water-based sealers normally require two coats to be applied. Once you've cut-in the edges, spray the entire patio with the first coat. Then wait for the sealer to dry enough that it can walked on, and do the same thing all over again...two coats! If you get things on too heavy and the sealer starts to puddle, use the brush to get rid of the puddling by simply brushing it out.
If you want to see what this process looks like, you can visit defyinfo.com where you can find a streaming video detailing each of the steps that we've taken.
10. MORE is definitely NOT better
Ok, if a little is good then a lot must be better, right? No! Remember, we're sealing concrete paver stones and these stones are sitting on a bed of sand. When the sand gets wet and then the sun comes out, these pavers need to breathe, meaning they need to let any water vapors pass through them. When too much sealer is applied, the water vapor can no longer pass through, which results in a white "blushing" effect or even potentially peeling.
Don't be fooled, I know how great this stuff can look if you really lay it on, how cool that high gloss finish is. But it will blush and peel. Limit your application to two coats and you won't have a problem.
11. How about a little maintenance
Ok, great job, now just one more thing. How about a little maintenance? Blow the leaves off when they fall to keep them from staining. Rinse the dirt and debris that seems to just show up over time. And as the weather begins to dull down the finish and the patio loses its luster, simply rinse it off and apply a light maintenance coat. Catch it before the patio gets too weathered and it's really that simply.
So that's it. That's everything. Eleven keys to sealing your patio. Go ahead and try these eleven keys for yourself. See what the results are when you set out on your next project to do it like a pro. You might just surprise yourself!
